New Music Tuesday
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Though primarily known as an actor, Jason Schwartzman has proven that he's equally talented as a musician, recording under the name Coconut Records. Picking up where his 2007 debut left off, Schwartzman's newest release Davy features him at his most confident and mature, incorporating lush orchestral passages (a la Sgt. Pepper's) and multi-part vocal harmonies into his signature mellow, jangly pop. Get it today exclusively on Amie Street!
Sounds Like: The Beatles + Weezer + Phantom Planet
Awesome fact #1: Bang Camaro's Bryn Bennett was the model for the animated guitarist in the wildly popular video game Rock Band. Awesome fact #2: The band performs with anywhere from ten to twenty singers on stage to recreate the sound of multitracked vocals -- MTV calls it "arena rock gone horribly right." Bang Camaro is a crew of former indie rockers who one day realized they were metalheads at heart, and have since enjoyed enormous success (like the cover of Billboard) after one of their songs appeared in Guitar Hero II. We dare you not to air guitar to their new album!
Sounds Like: KISS + Def Leppard + Twisted Sister
Mia Riddle's charming new album Tumble And Drag was recorded in several locations, including her producer's basement apartment and a friend's pizzeria, and incorporates a glockenspiel, banjo, and chirping birds in her unassuming alt-country songs. Although the album features many playful elements, Scottish music blog Crooked Rain rightfully calls it "serious artistic intelligence at work." Finally Mia's given us another great album!
Sounds Like: Gillian Welch + Jenny Lewis + Neko Case
After twelve albums, Germany's Kreator are still touring and recording relentlessly. In response to feedback from fans that thought their recent releases sounded too sterile, Hordes of Chaos was recorded live in the studio (on four-track analog, with no overdubs) to capture Kreator's ferocious energy. This album is a raw taste of what Allmusic calls "arguably the most successful and influential European thrash metal band ever."
Sounds Like: early Metallica + Anthrax + Motörhead
With roots in the Vancouver punk scene of the '70s and '80s, Hilt was a short-lived side project from members of Skinny Puppy. 1991's Journey to the Center of the Bowl presents a less aggressively industrial sound than the Skinny Puppy albums -- it ventures into jazz, ambient electronica, and druggy shoegaze -- and hits exceptionally pleasant high points on "Super Honey" and "Way Out There."
Sounds Like: The Jesus And Mary Chain + Skinny Puppy + Deerhunter
Natalia Clavier first gained notoriety for her prominent vocals on Federico Aubele's 2007 album Panamericana. In 2008, Clavier asked Aubele, along with Eric Hilton of Thievery Corporation, to produce her debut album Nectar, which was released on Thievery Corporation's label ESL Music. On Live At The Triple Door Clavier incorporates many different styles at once, from downtempo to tango to jazz, with her sublime voice taking center stage.
Sounds Like: Bebel Gilberto + Thievery Corporation + Federico Aubele
The delightfully strange David Byrne, best known as the lead singer for the new wave band Talking Heads, never misses a chance to throw a curveball at his fans. His latest solo work is a soundtrack to the second season of HBO's Big Love, a drama following a polygamist family in Salt Lake City, and for the project he's composed a number of fake Mormon hymns. File this one under things we never expected (and you never thought you'd want to hear), but Byrne's immense musical talent keeps it crisp and enjoyable. For the icing on this decidedly odd cake, stick around for the final track -- a cover of Elvis's "Blue Hawaii."
Sounds Like: Sufjan Stevens + Mark Mothersbaugh + American hymns
